Heavy rush for admission to Class XI : Should have anticipated
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: September 03, 2021 -

The Board of Secondary Education, Manipur, the different school authorities, officials nominated by the Government to work out the modalities of grading the Class X students to be promoted to Class XI have done their job, but it is not clear whether the Government has done what is expected of them.

In the absence of the Class X Board examination this year, cancelled due to the prevailing pandemic, the respective school authorities, the BOSEM and the Government appointed officials were asked to work out the modalities of grading the students and not unexpectedly the pass percentage was put at 100 percent.

In another word, no student failed. This is something which the Government should have anticipated and accordingly taken up the needed steps.

However as things have turned out not everything was worked out well and if the point of concern raised by the Kangleipak Students' Association is anything to go by then numerous Government schools are under immense pressure to absorb the students who have just crossed the Class X hurdle.

If what the student body has had to say comes anywhere near the truth, then instead of working out ways to increase the intake capacity of the schools and work out the modalities of accommodating the increased flow of students seeking admission in Class XI, some people have been reportedly using their position to pile the pressure on the school authorities to grant admission to students of their choice.

Using DO letters to accommodate the students is one such allegation raised by KSA and this is something serious, very serious.

In such a situation, can one dismiss the possibility of 'verbal instructions' given to some of these schools to accommodate students of their choice?

Taking steps to get students admitted is fine, but this should be taken up officially and on paper, such as increasing the sitting capacity of the classrooms, dividing a class into more sections, working out the school hours so that all the students may be accommodated in shifts etc.

This obviously would mean more work for the teachers but it is the job of the Government to find the right incentive for the teachers to dispense with their duties.

The scenario that has just been illustrated here concerns the Government higher secondary schools and one can imagine the number of students who would have lined up for admission in one of the better known private schools which offer classes at the plus two level.

The huge rush for admission at the plus two level is a situation that should have been anticipated in the backdrop of the decision of the State Government to do away with the Class X Board exams this year, and one certainly expects the Government to have worked out ways to meet the eventualities.

This is serious and no one should be caught napping at this point of time for it concerns the young students.